Tea-based beverages are some of the most popular beverages with consumers. In fact, many studies indicate that tea-based beverages promote good health. For example, studies indicate that both green and black tea, which are derived from Camellia sinensis, comprise cancer fighting antioxidants.
Other studies indicate that people who drink one or more cups of tea per day may have half the heart attack risk than people who drink no tea.
Notwithstanding the advantages of drinking a tea-based beverage, it is not always routine to generate a consistent beverage. Particularly, the water used to make a desired tea-based beverage can have a significant impact on, among other things, the taste and appearance of the beverage.
When levels of certain ions within the water used to generate the tea-based beverage are too high or too low, the resulting beverage often tastes and looks inferior. For example, tea-based beverages made with reverse osmosis water can be bitter, sour, flat and metallic tasting. Moreover, such tea-based beverages made with conventional tap water can be weak tasting, lacking in astringency, cloudy and have hazy precipitates suspended therein.
It is of increasing interest to develop a means for generating a consistent tea-based beverage. This invention, therefore, is directed to functional water whereby the water comprises less than 200 ppm total dissolved solids. The functional water of the present invention unexpectedly can be used to make a consistent tea-based beverage with superior flavor and appearance characteristics. Particularly, the tea-based beverage made with the functional water of the present invention, surprisingly, has characteristics similar to that of beverages made with spring water which typically can have at least 35% by weight less dissolved solids than the functional water of this invention.
Additional Information
Efforts have been disclosed for making tea-based beverages. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,423,362; 6,423,361; 6,413,570; and 6,274,187, tea-based beverages are described.
Other efforts have been disclosed for making tea-based beverages. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,986, tea containing beverages with cinnamic acid are described.
Still other efforts have been disclosed for making tea-based beverages. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,576, flavoring materials for use in tea containing beverages are described.
None of the additional information above describes a functional water whereby the water has less than about 200 ppm of total dissolved solids and is suitable for use in making a superior tea-based beverage.